‘Awaken From Your Long Slumber’: Rubio Urges Europe to Rebuild Western Power

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Europe to emerge from its “long slumber” and strengthen its military and economic power, warning that Western nations faced a choice between renewed influence and decline.

Addressing senior Greek officials at Pnyx Hill near the Acropolis in Athens, Rubio invoked ancient Greece’s democratic heritage to argue for a more assertive West.

“We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was lit here millennia ago,” he said.

Rubio welcomed rising European defence spending, new partnerships and expanded manufacturing, describing them as signs of a possible “generational shift”. He linked that momentum to commitments made at last year’s NATO summit in The Hague.

POWER REQUIRES THE WILL TO USE IT

Rubio said Western societies were “at a crossroads”, arguing that military capability needed to be backed by a credible willingness to act.

The ancient Greeks, he said, “understood that power requires not only having the means to defend yourself, but it also requires the credibility that you are willing to use it”.

“This is the classical understanding of politics and of statecraft that the Trump administration hopes to reclaim... not just for our country, but for the whole of our civilisation,” he added.

Decisions over the coming decade would shape the next hundred years, Rubio argued. The West, he said, had to decide whether to retain its global standing or succumb to “atrophy, servitude, and decline”.

Washington under President Donald Trump had already chosen to pursue greater national power, he said, citing efforts to secure critical supply chains, revive domestic industry, rebuild military capabilities and compete for leadership in emerging technologies.

His speech drew on historical figures including Alexander the Great and Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. It followed remarks in February in which he warned about mass migration and urged European nations to safeguard Christian civilisation.

GREECE’S ENERGY AND SECURITY ROLE

Rubio arrived in Greece from Iceland as part of a European tour. On Wednesday, he highlighted energy cooperation with Athens and announced a bilateral agreement to share intelligence on terrorism and drug smuggling.

He also participated in a strategic dialogue covering regional and energy security amid the conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, and met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Rubio said Greece’s position at the intersection of Mediterranean transit routes exposed it to migration pressures, human trafficking and other security threats.

The wars involving Iran and Ukraine have also exposed weaknesses in energy distribution networks. Greece is seeking to strengthen its role as a natural gas hub for southeastern Europe, with new pipelines and port facilities supporting an energy corridor through eastern Europe towards Ukraine.

Rubio was scheduled to conclude his European visit in Portugal on Thursday.

With inputs from ANI